Danis Zaripov Signs Two-Year Deal In KHL
Russian winger Danis Zaripov won’t be crossing the pond after all. After having his two-year KHL suspension reduced to just six months earlier this week that made him eligible to sign as of Thursday, he has inked a two-year contract with Ak Bars Kazan, the KHL announced (Twitter link).
Zaripov did draw a bit of NHL interest but nothing came of it. Most recently, the Blues had offered him a PTO deal but he was looking for a guaranteed contract. Tampa Bay also had interest during the summer while Pittsburgh was known to at least be considering signing him though it’s not known if any offer was ever made.
Interestingly enough, Zaripov opted to not return to Metallurg Magnitogorsk, the franchise he spent the past four years with and where he really made his mark on the league, recording just shy of a point per game (227 points in 229 contests) during that stretch. It won’t be his first stint with Kazan though as he was previously with them from 2001 through 2013.
If Russia and KHL players are allowed to play in the upcoming Olympics (something that appears to be far from a certainty at this point), Zaripov is a candidate to make that team assuming the long layoff doesn’t prove to be difficult to come back from. If he makes it, it would be his second appearance in that tournament having also suited up in 2010.
Toronto Maple Leafs Have Verbal Agreement With KHL Defender
As always, Elliotte Friedman’s 31 Thoughts column for Sportsnet is a must-read for fans around the NHL as the scribe goes into situations in Arizona and Montreal. One interesting detail though surrounds the Toronto Maple Leafs’ pursuit of Igor Ozhiganov, a 25-year old Russian defenseman playing in the KHL.
Ozhiganov had been previously linked to the Maple Leafs when Lou Lamoriello and Mike Babcock personally met with him in Russia in a sort of recruitment visit, similar to the one they completed when trying to sign Nikita Zaitsev a year earlier. Ozhiganov was a teammate of Zaitsev’s for several years in the KHL and is clearly the next target for the Maple Leafs as they continue to search for NHL-caliber defensemen around the world.
Friedman states that other teams have been told that Ozhiganov has a verbal agreement in place with the Maple Leafs, and points out that the team could sign him as early as April 30th. Because of his age, Ozhiganov will be signing just a one-year entry-level contract similar to Zaitsev. Earlier this summer the team also reached into the SHL for both Andreas Borgman and Calle Rosen, of which the former has immediately worked out for the team. Borgman has been a staple on the Maple Leafs third pairing, registering five points in 22 games.
For a team that is so obviously willing to spend past the NHL salary cap to give themselves every competitive advantage, scouting players around the world who may not be on every team’s radar is a new trend. Ozhiganov will just be the latest in a growing group of undrafted players on the roster, which also includes Nikita Soshnikov and Tyler Bozak.
Danis Zaripov Settles Appeal, Suspension Reduced
It looked as though Danis Zaripov was headed for the NHL when he was handed a two-year doping suspension by the IIHF. That restricted the Russian forward from playing in any European league including the KHL where he had suited up since the league’s inception. Now, the governing hockey body has settled with Zaripov and reduced his suspension to six months, which will mean he’s free to sign anywhere on November 23rd.
Several teams in the NHL had rumored interest in Zaripov, including the St. Louis Blues and Tampa Bay Lightning at various points. Evgeni Malkin even spoke out about how he’d like to have him in Pittsburgh, as the pair has lined up together at several international tournaments. Zaripov is a legendary player in Russia, with incredible playoff and international results. A four-time KHL champion and five-time World Championship medalist it’s likely that he’ll re-sign in Russia to finish his career.
At 36, there was a chance Zaripov could still be relevant to an NHL team but with the suspension reduced that outcome seems even more unlikely. Instead, he’ll go down as one of the most successful players to never suit up in a North American professional league. He did have a short stint in the WHL many years ago, but wasn’t drafted and returned to Russia after just one year.
Russia Attempting To Pass Bill To Forbid KHL Players From Olympics
Already with the NHL not participating in the Olympics, a new report has surfaced today from NHL.com’s Igor Eronko that the Russian parliament is preparing a bill for the KHL that would allow the league to forbid its players to participate in the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. That would also include players in the league from other countries as well, suggesting that Russia doesn’t want any national team to use KHL players.
That could put a damper on any hopes of Canada and the United States from putting together competitive teams as both squads were expected to dip into the KHL for players on their respective teams. TSN’s Bob McKenzie reports that this new development could get sticky as both the United States and Canada teams believe that U.S./Canada players in the KHL are there on IIHF transfers and the IIHF has sanctioned Olympic participation.
The news comes on the heel of news that International Olympic Committee will decide on Dec. 5 whether Russia will be allowed to compete in the Pyeongchang Winter Games due to state-backed doping at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
If this bill goes through, it could also start an uproar from former NHL players like Andrei Markov, who went overseas with the intention of playing in the Olympics. With the NHL already having decided long ago they will not participate in next year’s Olympic Games, Russia was considered to be the favorite since they would have the best players outside of the NHL. Perhaps not.
Jakub Jerabek “100% Committed” To Montreal Canadiens
In Elliotte Friedman’s latest 31 Thoughts column for Sportsnet the venerable hockey insider reported that Jakub Jerabek had a clause in his contract similar to Nikita Soshnikov, in that he could demand to be loaned back to the KHL should he not be in the NHL by a certain time. For Soshnikov that time was November 14th, which prompted the Toronto Maple Leafs to recall him this week. For Jerabek it wasn’t clear when the deadline was.
Now, Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports reports that December 15th is the date which Jerabek could ask to be reassigned, but it might not matter. Eric Engels of Sportsnet quickly chimed in by relaying a message from Jerabek’s agent Allan Walsh, who says that his client is “100% committed” to the Montreal organization and doesn’t intend on leaving.
From all accounts Jerabek has been the model employee for the Canadiens, understanding his role on the team and putting in the work to adapt his game to the North American style. Jerabek was a first-team All-Star last season (his first) in the KHL, scoring 34 points in 59 games. The 26-year old Czech-born defenseman signed a one-year entry-level contract this summer (as was mandated by the CBA) and will be an unrestricted free agent in the summer. Should he show the ability to jump to the NHL level before the end of the year you can bet Montreal will be fighting off other suitors for his services. With 11 points in 14 AHL games, he looks too good for the minor leagues already.
Snapshots: Free Agency, Soshnikov, Scandella
While all eyes are on John Tavares of the New York Islanders as we get closer and closer to July 1, 2018, Craig Custance of The Athletic examines the impressive list of other top names headed for unrestricted free agency next summer. Custance updates us on the current situations for each one, including interesting notes on several impending KHL free agents.
The most intriguing one out of Russia will once again be Ilya Kovalchuk, who last year wasn’t able to find a deal because of the rights New Jersey still held. Those rights will expire after the season because he’s now 35, making him free to sign with anyone in the league. Custance expects it to take “a multi-year deal in the $6 to 7 million range,” but notes that he is still seen as a potential impact player around the league. Kovalchuk has 20 goals and 36 points in 31 games for St. Petersburg this season.
- Also from The Athletic, Pierre LeBrun speaks directly to Toronto Maple Leafs GM Lou Lamoriello about the recent Nikita Soshnikov recall, and how it was partially forced by a clause in his deal that would have allowed him to go back to Russia. Interestingly, Lamoriello tells him that even had Soshnikov been assigned to the KHL the Maple Leafs would have retained the ability to recall him at any time. Instead, the team brought him up and are excited about how he’s played this season in the minor leagues. With 12 points in 14 games for the Toronto Marlies, Soshnikov was arguably their best player so far this year.
- Marco Scandella has been fined $5,000 for slashing Patric Hornqvist last night, the maximum amount allowed under the CBA. It’s not the first time Scandella has been disciplined by the Department of Player Safety, as he was fined and suspended previously for checks to the head. Some New York fans might even be familiar with his slashing prowess (h/t @myregularface) from his days with the Minnesota Wild.
Morning Notes: Price, Soshnikov, GMs
Carey Price says he would be in the lineup if tonight’s Montreal Canadiens game was a playoff contest. Price hasn’t played since suffering a lower-body injury in warm-up before the Canadiens’ November 2nd game, and doesn’t have a clear timeline yet.
Skating by himself once again, he’ll need to rejoin the team in practice before suiting up for a game. That slow process is being helped by the play of Charlie Lindgren, who now carries a .964 save percentage through his four starts. The 23-year old Lindgren looks ready to take on at least a backup role in the NHL, which will complicate things with Al Montoya when all three goaltenders are back to full health. Montoya is under contract through next season, but has played poorly in his small sample this year.
- Nikita Soshnikov was called up to the Maple Leafs earlier today because of his KHL clause that would have allowed him to return to Russia, but Chris Johnston of Sportsnet reports that the team isn’t out of the woods in that respect just yet. The clause allows Soshnikov to request a loan to the KHL at any future point this season if they try to send him back down. That, along with the fact that he’ll become waiver-eligible after playing in three games, complicates things for the Maple Leafs. While Soshnikov has done little offensively in his 67 NHL games (14 points), he is off to a fast start in the AHL this season at nearly a point-per-game pace.
- Sean McIndoe of Sportsnet breaks down the current GMs that are feeling the heat, listing four among the “Smoke, sparks and fire alarms” group. One of those members, John Chayka of the Arizona Coyotes wouldn’t have been considered in trouble a year ago when the team was going through a slow rebuild. That was accelerated this summer when they made some supposed win-now moves like bringing in Derek Stepan and Niklas Hjalmarsson, but it hasn’t paid off at all. The Coyotes have still yet to win a game in regulation, and look even further away from contention than they did before giving up the seventh-overall pick this summer.
Minor Transactions: 11/14/17
As always, we’ll keep track of all the league’s minor moves right here. Keep refreshing this throughout the day.
- The Washington Capitals have loaned Tyler Graovac to the AHL on a long-term conditioning stint. That allows the Capitals to move Graovac down without having to send him through waivers for the time being. The 24-year old forward hasn’t played since October 17th, but must be healthy enough to get back on the ice.
- Nikita Soshnikov is at practice with the Toronto Maple Leafs and has been called up to replace Frederik Gauthier. Today is when Soshnikov’s KHL out-clause kicks in, meaning he would have to be called up or risk him going back to Russia. While it doesn’t seem like Soshnikov is itching to leave North America, it’s an easy call-up to make at this point. Interestingly though, if Soshnikov plays three more games in the NHL he will lose his waiver-exempt status.
- The Los Angeles Kings have recalled Andrew Crescenzi from the AHL, giving him a chance to get into his first NHL game. The 25-year old Crescenzi has been in the Kings’ system for several years but has yet to get a sniff of the NHL lineup. While there is no guarantee this time around, it at least will provide him with a big-league paycheck for a few days.
- After allowing five goals in the third period last night, the St. Louis Blues have made a change up front. The team has assigned Beau Bennett to the Chicago Wolves of the AHL. Bennett has played six games for the Blues this year but has yet to register a single point. The 25-year old forward last cleared waivers on September 28th, but hasn’t used up the allotted 30 active roster days (or 10 games) yet, and thus can be sent down without clearing again.
Vadim Shipachyov Signs With SKA St. Petersburg Of The KHL
Now-former Golden Knights center Vadim Shipachyov wasted little time finding his next place to play as he has signed a one-year deal with SKA St. Petersburg, the KHL team announced. This comes on the heels of him finalizing his NHL retirement back on Thursday. Igor Eronko of Sport-Express in Russia reports (Twitter link) that the contract is worth $500K, well off the $4.5MM cap hit he had in the NHL.
Shipachyov is no stranger to SKA having spent the past four seasons there before crossing the pond to try his hand at the NHL back in May. In 205 regular season games with the team during that span, he had 67 goals and 155 assists.
Things didn’t go as well with Vegas, however. He wound up starting the season in the minors at least in part due to his waiver exemption and while he did get into three games with the Golden Knights, it wasn’t long before he was sent back down and at that time, Shipachyov decided he’d rather return back home than continue to pursue an NHL spot. Doing so will also free him up for the Olympics, assuming the Russian Federation is allowed to participate and the KHL allows its players to go, two things that have come into question over the past week.
Even though the contract is only for the rest of this season, the 30-year-old won’t be able to try to return to the NHL next season. As part of the agreement with him filing NHL retirement papers, the Golden Knights will retain Shipachyov’s rights through his age-35 season and considering how things went the first time around, it’s highly likely that he will opt to stay in the KHL for the foreseeable future.
Colorado To Recall Kamenev As Soon As Possible
Yesterday we discussed the package the Colorado Avalanche received in return for Matt Duchene, but one of the overlooked pieces so far has been Vladislav Kamenev. The 21-year old center might not be as exciting as Samuel Girard, but is another legitimate NHL prospect with some intriguing upside. Today, while the Avalanche prepare for their series against the Ottawa Senators in Sweden, GM Joe Sakic told Igor Eronko of Sport-Express that the team will bring Kamenev up as soon as possible. He would have even liked to bring him to Stockholm, if visa issues had not prevented him.
Kamenev reported to the San Antonio Rampage after the trade, and registered an assist in his first game. That gives him nine points in 11 games this season, after scoring 59 last season. Selected with the 42nd-overall pick in 2014, the 6’2″ forward is a solid two-way player and gives the Avalanche even more depth down the middle. Obviously with the loss of Duchene the NHL center position is weakened, but with Nathan MacKinnon, Alex Kerfoot, Tyson Jost, J.T. Compher and now Kamenev all 23-and-under with plenty of experience in the middle the future looks bright.
Sakic also addressed the idea that Kamenev could return to the KHL when his contract expires, telling Eronko he’s not worried about that.
I think he wants to play in the NHL and he’s an NHL player. I’m sure once he comes up he doesn’t want to go anywhere else. He’ll enjoy growing with that group. We wanted to get younger, get those young guys and grow together.
Kamenev’s entry-level contract will expire at the end of the 2018-19 season, and there will be plenty of eyes on him by then. If he does come up right away, he’ll be given every opportunity to succeed with the team right away. Colorado is off to a good start, but is focused on the long-term growth of the team.
On that note, Girard looks like he’ll get into the games in Sweden for Colorado which will force them to make a decision quickly after returning. Girard has played five games so far this season, and if he plays 10 he’ll burn a year of his entry-level contract. The Avalanche will have to decide whether sticking with their team for the whole year is worth it, or whether he should go back to the QMJHL. For Nashville, that decision was likely going to lean towards junior because of their already stellar group of defensemen. In Colorado, there’s no telling how much ice time Girard could earn himself.